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Villa Pisani designed by Andrea Palladio

Villa Pisani was designed by Andrea Palladio in 1541, when he came back from his first journey to Rome. The villa was built between 1544 and 1545. It is the most representative example of his early period and it marked the beginning of his collaboration with the Serene Republic of Venice. Today the Villa is perfectly preserved, due to the work of recent owners. Palladio was so proud of this work and so conscious of the stature of his patrons, the Pisani family, that he used it to open the section entitled Villa Homes, in his famous treatise "The Four Books of Architecture". This work was published in Venice in 1570.

The Villa was inspired by the ancient buildings of Rome, the public baths in particular. It reflected their grandeur and was a strong symbol of the Venetian influence and power on the mainland at the time. In the atrium, there is a cross-shaped room and a barrel vault frescoed with mythological scenes. The cross vault, raised on half-pilasters reminiscent of Sangallo, is decorated with 16th century grotesques. The Large Kitchen, the name referring to its use in the 18th Century, was moved from the semi-basement to the current location on an upper floor because of flooding from the river Guà (or Troublesome River according to legend). The rustic fireplace and the wood furnishings bear the branded initials of the owners, VPZ, which stands for Vettore Pisano Zusto. Of historical interest is the extraordinary “sink” designed and sculpted by Palladio himself. Above the cupboard, there is large painting from the workshop of Carpioni representing the Sacrifice of Iphigenia. More recently in this room, Britain’s Queen Mother dined during a private visit to the Venetian Villas in 1987. Inside the large room where the majestic chimney is located, it is possible to hold private events. It is a perfect place to travel back into ages past.

The villa is open year-round. Guided tours and children’s workshops are available throughout the year also. In 1996, UNESCO included the Villa Pisani Bonetti in the World Heritage Site "City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto". The Contemporary Art at the Villa Pisani holds exhibitions devoted to contemporary artists. Villa Pisani has long been a remarkable location for contemporary art exhibitions promoted by the artist Manuela Bedeschi, who is the current owner of the estate along with her husband, Carlo Bonetti. Being an eclectic artist, she understands the artistic and aesthetic values of the Palladian Villa, turning them into precious medium for international and national art events. The villa has become a permanent and prestigious site for rich Art and Design collections. Manuela Bedeschi brings us outstanding creations including paintings and sculptures. She prefers site specific interventions and connections by accentuating space with light. In the context of restoration architecture, allowing it to live once again, the exhibitions propose a journey from the central hall to the large loggia and the cellars that, revives and gives relevancy to the shapes and spaces of the Villa Pisani, offering visitors a new vision of the building’s pure Palladian architecture.